Ignition system



19342; I J. TQEITZSIMMONS ETAL 1,869,098

- IGNITION'SYSTEM Filed March 6, 1930 2 sheetssheet 1 fflt sbm mans.

July 26, 1932. J. T. FITZSIMMONS EI'AL 5 3 IGNITION SYSTEM v v f Filed March 6, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jb/m TEZ aim mans. Jimes L. z4rt/uu:

' v v fl 61mm,

v Patented July 26,1932

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN T. FITZ SIMMONS AND JAMES L. ARTHUR, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, ASSIGNORS TO DELGO-REMY CORPORATION, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE V IGNITION SYSTEM This invention pertains to ignition systems and has for an object to provide an ignition distributor adaptable to high speed opera-- the movableparts of said structure.

A particular object of this invention is to provide means for lubricating the speed responsive means of the automatic spark ad- Vance.

A further object of this invention is to provide an oiling systemfor speed controlled timing mechanisms, whereby the active life of the structure may be prolonged.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description,-reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of one form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is avvertical' section through an ignition device of the class described substantial- 1y as indicated by line and arrows 1-1 of I 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the cam carrylng assembly, illustratlng in detail,

' a part of the improvement contributing to this invention.

Fig. 5 is a plan view similar toFig. 3, of a modification of our invention substantially as indicated by the arrow 5 in Fig.6.

Fig. 6 is a vertical'scctional View ofa modifull and dotted line.

fication of our invention substantially as in- With particular reference to the drawings, refers to a cup member housing a governor mechanism or speed responsive means and that differentially connects a drive shaft with a cam carrying shaft as will presently appear. The governor cup 20 is formed with a shank 21 that provides a sleeve supporting a bearing 22 for the drive shaft 40. The shank 21 is provided with a bore to receive the bearing 22 and leads out from chamber 23 in the base of the cup 20. About the shank 21 is a clamp bracket or actuating arm 24 having the apertured ear 25 for connection to the manual control.

The chamber 23 is covered by a plate 2 and secured in tight relation with the bottom of the cup 20 by rivets 27, which coincidently aid in securing the actuating arm 24 to the cup 20. Through a lateral wall of the cup 20 and openin into the chamber 23, a grease gun fitting 28 is provided so that hard lubricant may be forced into the chamber 23 under pressure. It will be noted from reference to Fig. 1 that the bearing 22 in fact extends through the'lubricant pressure chamber 23 and is provided with apertures 29 which give access for lubricant in the chamber 23 to the surface of the shaft 40. Throughout the extent of the bearing 22, the shaft 40 is provided with an oil groove 41, which in the present instance appears as a doubleellipse or reentr'ant curve represented by the The speed responsive means 30 comprises a weight plate 31 press fitted upon the reduced end of the shaft 40 and supports a pair of pivot posts 32 upon which are pivoted weights 33, having cam faces 34 maintained in engagement with the cam lobes 35 of a plate 36 secured to the lower end of the cam carrying shaft 45, hereinbefore referred to. Eachtoward the axis of the speed responsive means,

yet permit the weights 33 to fly outwardly upon rotation by the shaft 40. I

bore 46 running throughout the axis of the said shaft and terminating in the lower end thereof in arecess 47 of substantial length, and of suflicient size to telescopically engage the pintle 43 of the drive shaft 40. The recess 47 being somewhat deeper than the length of the pintle 43 provides a small chamber at the end of said pintle which may act as a lubricating chamber, and the walls of this chamber are apertured as at 39 to admit of threading a wick or lubricant absorbing member 48 there'through, the ends of said absorb ing member are carried laterally and pressed over the pivot posts 32 as illustrated at 49.

In the illustrated modification of Figs. 5 and 6, the lubricant absorbing member comprises a fibrous washer 48a of felt or the like, disposed about the lower end of the shaft so as to be adjacent the aperture 39 and engage the spring posts 37.

The housing integrally or otherwise, includes a second cup member 50 that has a bridge portion 51 across the bottom thereof,

providing a receptacle or seat for an anti-friction bearing 52 of the usual ball and race type as illustrated in Fig. 1. This provides a bearing for the cam carrying shaft 45 heretofore described. -In the bottom of the cup and just above the bridge 51, a breaker plate 53 adi 'justably supports a shift plate 54, upon which is adjustably mounted a circuit breaker bracket 55 and to which is pivoted a circuit breaker 56 as at 57; the lever 56 having a contact 56a cooperating with a contact 5612 supported by the bracket 55, and a rubbing block 58 electrically connected to a terminal bracket 59 of the shift plate 54'by a lever urging spring 60.

In the immediate instance, the breaker mechanism is duplicated as illustrated in Fig. 2, in that another lever 56' has a pivotal support at 57 upon the bracket 55 and is electrically connected to a terminal bracket 61 of, the breaker plate 53. Each of the plates 55 are adjustable about the posts 57 by loosening the clamp screws 62 and turning of the eccentric 63 in the usual manner, whereby the dwell of the contacts may be varied to suit the conditions. The shift plate 54 is capable of adjustment upon the breaker plate 53 by reason of the clamping screws 64 and the eccentric 65, by the manipulation of which the plate 54 may be pivoted about theshaft 45 and on the plate 53, due to the-flange 66 hlavfing a. bearing coaxial of the cam carrying s a t.

The bracket 59 has provision" for insulatingly supporting the spring through a bolt 67, bushing 68 and nut 69, securing the spring 61 thereis attached a clip 74, Which has elec' trical' communication with the circuit breaker lever 56 and forms one terminal 75 of acondenser 76, and that has a second terminal thereof grounded upon the casing, the break er plate 53 being apertured at 77 for the pas sage of the condenser clips.

The cam carrying shaft 45 extends somewhat above the circuit breaker assembly just described, and the axial bore '46 thereof terminates in a conical counter-sink formed into an expansible member by splitting the same .into a plurality of segments, as by sawing along the axis of said shaft to provide the s ring tongues 78 as illustrated in Fig. 4.

bout the shaft 45 is an annular groove 79 Within which is disposed a collar or ring 80, and a multi-lobe cam 81 fittingly engages the end of the shaft 45 about the expansible portion, thecam member having a sleeve'like extension 82' carrying the dissimilar flats 83 and 84 that provide a one-way mating relation with a distributor rotor 85.

The cam 81 would be normally rotatable about the shaft 85, but is restrained from rotation thereon by means of an expanding member 86, disposed within the spring tongues 78 and carrying a screw 87 that forces the same into engagement therewith.

The expanding member 86 forms a cone and is retained on the screw 87 by a spring ring 8?, seated in an annular groove of the screw 8 V It will be observed from Fig. 4, that the sleeve-like extension 82 of the cam extends somewhat above the spreading member 86 and the screw 87, whereby a small receptacle or recess 88 is provided at the end of the expansible portion of the shaft 45. The'screw 87'is provided throughout the threaded por tion thereof with a longitudinalgroove 90 that afl'ords communication between the slits of the wedges 78 and the axial passage 46 of the shaft.

It is thus seen that lubricant admitted to the recess 88 at the end of the expansible shank of the shaft 42 provided by the sleeve 82 of the cam, will seep down through the slits between the wedges 78, thence about the threads of the screw 87 until it reaches the passage 90, from whence it will run down the bore 46 to the chamber 47 and saturate the wicking 48 or 48a. From there the lubricant travels along the fibers of the wicking to the pivot posts 32 of the speed responsive means. In the first form illustrated, this is by way of the wicking 48 threaded through. the apertures 39 of the chamber 47 and thence along .the wicking 48 until the lubricant reaches the posts 32. In the modification illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, the lubricant reaching the chamber 47 finds its way to the absorbing material 4840 through the apertures 39, and thence to the posts 37. From the posts 37, the lubricant will gradually move outwardly along the convolutions of the spring 38 until it reaches the pivot posts 32, at which time lubrication thereof will be manifest. The travel of the lubricant from the chamber 47 to the pivot posts 32 is due in part, in both instances, to the centrifugal force exerted by the rapidly rotating governor mechanism, as well as the absorption capacity of the members 48 and 48a.

Of course not all of the lubricant that reaches the chamber 47 will pass out by way of wicking 48, but sufficient thereof will be so communicated to the posts to reduce the frictional engagement of the weights therewith. The remaining portion of the lubricant that reaches the chamber 47 will tend to lubricate the surfaces of theshafts 40 and 451 at their common uncture, thus tending to re duce the frictional resistance offered to the speed responsive means in its differential coupling of the two shafts.

T e extension 82 of the cam block forms driving engagement for the distributor rotor- 85 earlier referred to, and this rotor mold ably supports the contactor segments 92 .cooperably engageable with distributor terminals 93 moldably secured within a distributor cap 94. The cap 94 likewise moldably secures a contact ring 95, and an axial terminal post 96 that make contacting engagement with the segments 92 through the brush .members 97 and 98 respectively. The distributor cap has provision for making electrical engagement with insulated leads through the pointed pins 99 that are forced to pierce the insulation and engage the conductor thereof by the compression members 100 of an auxiliary cap 101 and spacer 102 that are secured tothe cap 94 in any preferred manner. The caps 94 and 101 have cooperating provisions with the spacer member 102 by way of the lateral corrugated apertures 103 for engaging the insulation of the conductors and holding them in firm engagement so that the electrical connections of the conductors with the pins 99 may not readily be disturbed.

The distributor cap assembly may be secured to the timer housing in any preferred manner as by means ofclamp springs 104, hinged to a bracket 105 mounted uponthe cup 50. The cup 50 also supports an oil re.- ceptacle 106 having a spring cap l07.'and

that empties into a trough 108 secured to the breaker plate through a clip 109 and screw 110, the trough emptying into the anti-friction bearing 52 through an aperture 1110f the plate 53.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it isto be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims'which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In an ignition device the combination comprising, a timer housing, a driven shaft and a cam shaft within the housing, speed responsive means differentially connecting the shafts, said cam shaft providing an oil reservoir, and means in communication with said reservoir, for conducting lubricant to, the pivotally connected members of said speed responsive means.

2. In an ignition device of the class described, the combination comprising, a housing providing a bearing for a drive shaft, a cam shaft supported within said housing and differentially connected with said drive shaft by speed responsive means, a lubricant conveying channel in said cam shaft having communication with said differential connection, and means conveying lubricant from said differential connection to movable parts of said speed responsive means.

3. In an ignition distributor, the combination comprising, a housing supporting a drive shaft, and a cam shaft differentially joined by speed responsive means, an oil receptacle provided in the end of said shaft and a channel communicating with the junc- .ture'of said cam shaft and drive shaft, lubricant absorbing means disposed at thejuncture of said shafts and leading to parts of said speed responsive means whereby oil placed in the receptacle of said cam shaft will be transportedto the moving parts of said speed responsive means.

4. In an ignition device of the class described, the combination comprising, a housing, a drive shaft having a bearing therein and supporting a weight plate, speed responsive means carried by said weight plate, a cam carrying. shaft journalled for rotation within said housing, and having differential connection with said drive shaft through the said speed responsive means, said cam carrying shaft providing a receptacle for lubricant and carrying a lubricant absorbing mempi'essure lubricating chamber having com-' connectedby said speed responsive means, a.

7' 'municationwith said drive shaft, said cam carrying shaft providing an"oil receptacle .and having a channel in communication with *said receptacle and the juncture of said shafts, and lubricant absorbing means in the region of said juncture having communication With the pivot posts of said speed responsivemeans, whereby lubricant admitted to said channel 'and absorbing means may be transmitted to said posts.

6. In an ignition distributor the combination comprising, a drive shaft, a cam carrying shaft and speed responsive means differentially connecting the same, a housing providing bearings for both of said shafts, said housingjhaving prpvisigin for applying lubricant under pressureto said drive shaft,

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an anti-friction bearing. supporting said cam carrying shaft, and means for charging said anti-friction bearing and said pressure applying means with lubricant, said cam carrying shaft providing an oil receptacle-and channel communicating with said differential-connection, and means for conveying lubrlcant from sald differential connection V .to the movable parts of said speed responsive means.

7. In a distributor of the class described,

1 providing a drive shaft and a cam carrying shaft with speed responsive means connecting the same, the combination comprising, an oil receptacle at the end of said cam carrying shaft, and a channel communicating with the juncture of said shafts, a wicking disposed at the juncture of said shafts and having communication with the pivot posts of said speed responsive device.

8. In a distributorvof the class describgd, providing a drive shaftand a cam carrying shaft with speed responsive means connecting the same, the combination with a wicking attached to; the pivot posts of said speed responsive means, and passing through said shaft connection, whereby lubricantadmitted thereto will be transmitted to -the said .pivot post.

gagement, a wicking disposed in said bore and communicating with parts of said speed responsive means, whereby lubricant admittedvto the receptacle of said cam carrying shaft will be communicated to said pivot anti-friction bearing for said cam carrying posts. v 10. In an ignition distributor the combination comprising, a, drive shaft, a cam carrying'shaft and speed responsive means connecting the same, a cam carried upon said cam carrying shaft, said cam carrying shaft being expansible and supporting a slotted screw with an expanding device for adjustably securing said cam upon said cam carrying shaft, and a longitudinal bore throughout said cam carrying shaft in communication with the slot of said screw, providing a lubricant carrying channel to the juncture of said shafts.- I 11. In an ignition distributor, the combination of a rotatable cam carrying element having an expansible shank, of a cam supported on said shaft, a member for expanding said shank and means for forcing said expanding member into said shank, said cam carrying element having an axial passage therethrough, said cam providing means extending beyond said shank and expanding means, to provide a recess at the end of said cam carrying element, said expanding member and forcing. means providing passages in communication with said axialpassage, whereby lubricant admitted to said cam recess'may be conducted to and through said axial passage.

12. In an ignition distributor, the combination of a rotatable cam carrying element having an expansible shank, of a cam supported on said shaft, a member for expanding said shank and means for forcing said expanding member into said shank, said cam carrying element having an axial passage therethrough, said cam providing means extending'beyond said shank and expanding means, to provide a recess at the end of said cam carrying element, said expanding member and forcing means providing passages in communication with said axial passage, a drive shaft having a portion telescopically engaged by said cam carrying elementso as to provide a recess at the juncture thereof, speed responsive means difierentially drivingly connecting said shaft and cam carrying element and lubricant absorbing means connecting the pivot post of said speed responsive means with said recess, whereby lubricant admitted to said cam recess may be conducted to and through said axial passage, and juncture to the lubricant, absorbin means, and thence to the pivot posts of sai speed responsive means.

13. In an ignition distributor, the combination comprising, a cup shaped housing supporting a drive shaft and providing means for lubricating the same under pressure, speed responsive mechanism secured to said drive shaft and providing a differential connection with a cam carrying shaft, a circuit breaker cup with breaker mechanism supported by said housing and providing an shaft, means exterior of the circuit breaker housing conveying lubricant to the anti-friction bearing, said cam carrying shaft providing a receptacle and passages in addition 4 to lubricant absorbing means, adapted to convey lubricant to said speed responswe means. 14. In a distributor of the class described, providin a drive shaft and a camcarrying shaft wit speed responsive means connectin the same, the combination comprising an axial bore of said cam carrying shaft telescopically engaging a portion of said drive shaft, said cam carrymg shaft providing a longitudinal channel and having an oil receptacle at the end remote of said shaft ena ement a ertures in said cam car in shaft communicating with said axial bore, a lubricant absorbing washer. encircling said shaft juncture for-transmitting lubricant from said shaft juncture to ports of said speed responsive means.

In testimony whereof signatures.

. :JOHN T. FITZSIMMONS.

JAMES L. ARTHUR.

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